


Certain as the Sun

by foppishaplomb



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 09:46:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13587489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foppishaplomb/pseuds/foppishaplomb
Summary: When John's dad is taken by a horrible beast, John has to give himself up in return--but the Beast already seems to know who he is, and he doesn't like him.





	Certain as the Sun

John's dad was missing. He had gone to work, to check the arrival of one of his ships, and never come back. As his heir and his son, it was John's duty to find him. His only clue was the family horse, which had wandered out of the woods back to its home, but he thought it could lead him back to where it had come from. He said goodbye to his friends and set out into the forest.

The horse seemed to know exactly where to go, as if led by some kind of magic. She led John through the woods with an eerie sureness. She never once hesitated, and within a day's ride it led John to what had to be its destination.

The castle rose out of the forest like a spider in its web. It was dark and forboding, like a storm cloud on the horizon. John swallowed, but the horse never turned or stopped. John found himself wishing he hadn't gone alone. He had a bad feeling about this place, but he had to find his dad.

The horse stopped at the gates of the castle. At that, the spell seemed to be broken—she suddenly spooked and shied away, as if terrified of the castle itself.

“Ah! Casey, no! It's okay, girl!”

The horse bucked John off in a terrible fright. John hit the ground hard, barely rolling in time to avoid breaking his arm. He managed to get back on his feet just to see Casey galloping off into the forest. John called after her, breaking into a run, but he wasn't as fast as a horse was. He was left alone and bruised at the gates of a massive, spooky forest castle. That probably didn't bode well.

Still, John was brave, or at least he tried his best to be. He held his arm and walked up to the gates. They were twisted and iron and locked shut. John put his hand on the gate. How was he going to get in?

“Hello? Anyone there?” he called. “I'm, uh... looking for my dad! He's tall, and wears a white hat, and—uhh, you know, I could give you a better description if you let me in!”

No one came out, but apparently _someone_ heard, because the gates suddenly gave in under John's hand and pushed open with a great creak. He had been sure it was locked a moment ago, but maybe he hadn't pushed hard enough. It opened to a garden filled with rosebushes, all blooming blood red despite being the dead of winter. This place wasn't natural, but John pushed on. The gates closed behind him.

John followed the path to the door. Inside, the castle foyer was beautiful, but completely empty. He came inside, and the door again shut itself behind him. He tried it again and it was locked.

“Hello?” John called. He was shaking a little. This place was starting to get to him. “Dad?”

No response. John had no choice but to move in deeper. The luxury of the place was unsettling. It wasn't that it was dusty and unused. Every piece of furniture was perfectly spotless.

Something tried to take John's cloak. He felt a pull at his shoulders. John yelped and turned around, but there was nothing there but the empty hallway.

“Dad?” John called again, weakly.

“Son!”

It was his dad's voice, faint but unmistakable. It was coming from down a great staircase. John rushed down the stairs, calling for his dad all the while. He followed his voice into a dark, damp dungeon. In one of the cells was John's father. His usually impecabble clothing was torn and dirty. John hurried to him, pulling uselessly at the bars to open them.

“Son,” said Dad. He had tears in his eyes when John gripped his hands through the bars. “You need to get out of here. There's a monster.”

“Not without you,” said John, and he felt a puff of warm breath on his back. He whirled around, eyes wide.

Behind him was a beast. It was at least seven feet tall, with the face of a panther and eerie orange devil's horns. It was covered with thick, matted black hair. Its yellow eyes glowed in the dim light. John could see that the irises were blood red.

“Worthless human,” it snarled. It had a rough, booming voice that made John's teeth chatter. “I knew you'd come. I saw you in the mirror.”

“W-What does that mean?” John's voice came out softer than he meant it to. He spoke again, firmer and louder. “Let my dad go!”

“He trespassed here. Why should I?”

“I'm trespassing here too. T-take me instead!”

“Son, no!” Dad reached out from the bars, as if trying to stop John's words with his hands, but the beast smiled. It showed jagged, sharp fangs. Its hot breath steamed on the air.

“I knew you'd say that,” it laughed.

“What?”

“Selfless, sweet John.” The beast moved closer. “Pfft. Hardly. I know better.”

“H-how do you know my name?” John drew closer to his dad, just on instinct. He was trying to be brave, but it was difficult when things were being so _scary._

“Get away from him,” said Dad.

“I have watched your entire pathetic life unfold,” said the beast. “I have observed you while you would quake and tremble in personal prayers of shame.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“While you pleaded forgiveness for being such a wretched, disgusting failure on every conceivable level.”

“My son is _not_ a failure,” growled Dad.

“Shut up,” growled the beast back. “I was doing a thing. Never mind. I'll take you up on your offer,” and it took John's arm with its massive claws. It pulled out a ring of keys from its cloak and opened the cell. Dad immediately went for John, but the beast pulled him away and threw him inside the cell.

“No,” said the beast. “He traded himself for you. Get out of here.”

“No! That's my son! I won't leave him!”

“Yes, you will.”

The beast closed the door before John could go anywhere. He watched helplessly as the beast grabbed his father and hauled him out of the room. He could hear his dad shouting and fighting, but the beast was so big. He rushed to the window and could see just a peek of the world outside. He watched as the beast shoved his dad inside a carriage. It came to life, as if led by invisible horses, and went out through the gates. The massive iron gates closed after him with a final, awful creak.

John was stuck here.

Snowflakes trickled in through the window's bars. John went up on his tiptoes and stuck his hand out the window.

The beast stuck his face into the window. John screamed and fell back.

“What the hell are you?” John hissed.

The beast bared its teeth back. It smirked when John shied away. “I'm a monster. That's all you need to know.”

“I-I know that much already.” John forced himself back to his feet, balling his hands into fists. “You can't keep me here forever!”

“Whatever,” said the beast. “I'll take your dad again.”

“Oh.” John deflated. “I guess you can keep me here forever.”

“I thought so. I'm tired of crouching through this window. Get used to this view. It's the only thing you're ever going to see again.” The beast walked away. John saw its tail flick by, and then it was gone.

John sat down on the cold dungeon floor and hugged his knees. He stared out the window at his view of the grey, dark sky. He began to cry.

“Look, don't cry,” came the beast's voice from behind him. He was holding a tray of food. John jumped. He wiped furiously at his eyes and glared. The beast glared back. “Not that I care.”

“Why are you keeping me here?” John demanded. “Why not just let me and my dad go?”

“You trespassed,” said the beast. “It's... what monsters like me do.”

There was a brief silence while they stared at one another. Then the beast sighed. “Here's your dinner,” he said. He dropped the tray on the ground, and John winced, waiting for the crash, but something invisible caught it and set it gently on the floor. The beast turned away and stalked out.

John watched after him. He pulled the tray closer and picked at the food. Tears sprung to his eyes again. He wasn't just going to sit there and be sad. He listened hard, to see if the Beast was going to appear again. To his surprise, he could hear its breathing.

Ugh, it was watching him! How creepy. John scowled. “I know you're there!”

No response. Fine. John picked up the tray and threw it at the wall. Along with a loud crash, the Beast appeared again in the dungeon, Its scowl looked like a sight straight from hell.

“You can't do that when I'm being so kind as to feed on you,” it snarled. “I'm waiting on you, hand and fucking foot.”

“You're not. You just dropped it and some invisible thing carried it over.”

“Yes, my magical invisible servants,” the Beast said, rolling his eyes, with a sarcastic tone that belied the _actual_ invisible servants, that seemed to actually exist.

“Yes, your actual invisible servants!”

“Yeah, them. But still. I don't _have_ to feed you, you know.” He huffed. “If you're going to act like that, then I won't.”

“Fine! Don't! But don't watch me either, you fucking—auggh!” John got so angry he lost his words. He turned around, arms crossed, and glared at the window. “Why don't you just leave me alone, since you're going to be keeping me here _forever._ ”

“Fine!” snapped the Beast. “I will. Have fun being miserable and lonely forever, because I love it, I think it's great, and now you're going to enjoy it too!”

The Beast stomped out. John began to cry again, and this time, nobody came to stop him.

 


End file.
